I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a clean freak. Between tidying the kitchen after meal prep, cleaning up spills, drying off bathroom counters, and drying my hands, I used to fly through my kitchen roll every few days. Using that many paper towels started to feel wasteful, and it got really expensive. Since, I’ve discovered Swedish dishcloths, a single roll will last me weeks.
I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say Swedish dishcloths have changed my life. I use them for literally everything: cleaning floors, dusting surfaces and mouldings, wiping surfaces, soaking up spills, cleaning the hob, washing dishes, cleaning appliances — I could go on, but you get the point. They’re super absorbent, dry quickly, and one cloth lasts for months and months. You can toss them in the washing machine or dishwasher (my go-to method to refresh them between cleans).
The reusable cloths are sold in so many fun patterns and prints, from plaids and stripes to florals. I leave mine hanging in the kitchen for easy access, so I love the variety of designs that double as decor.
My hack? I have a few different cloths in active rotation: one for “cleaner” messes, like counters and the kitchen table, one that I use on the hob, inside cabinets and the fridge, and door handles, and another for the “dirtiest” messes, like dusting and spills on the floor. The cloths work through a lifecycle, where they all eventually end up for the super dirty tasks until I toss them. I’ve been using some cloths for longer than six months and they still work well, they just start to lose absorbency and scrub power with use.
While every brand makes a slightly different claim, they tend to say that one Swedish cloth can replace 15 to 17 kitchen rolls. Don’t get me wrong: I would find it challenging to completely stop buying kitchen roll. I still use it occasionally, especially when I’m sanitising after dealing with raw meat or deep cleaning the toilet. But now, I use it so infrequently, a large roll will last weeks.
